Electrosurgical shears with knife lock and clamp-actuated switch

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes an end effector, a handle assembly, a knife drive assembly, an electrode activation assembly, and a lockout assembly. The end effector includes a first jaw, a second jaw, a knife, and an electrode assembly. The handle assembly includes a housing associated with the first jaw and an arm associated with the second jaw, where the arm is configured to pivot the second jaw between an open position and a closed position. The lockout assembly is may transition between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration. The lockout assembly may prevent activation of the electrode and prevent actuation of the knife drive assembly while in the locked configuration. The lockout assembly may allow activation of the electrode and allow actuation of the knife drive assembly while in the unlocked configuration.

I claim: 
     
       1. A surgical instrument comprising:
 (a) a housing extending distally into a first jaw; 
 (b) a resilient arm pivotably coupled with the housing, wherein the resilient arm extends distally into a second jaw, wherein the resilient arm is operable to drive the second jaw between an open position and a closed position, wherein the resilient arm is operable to transition between a relaxed position and a flexed position relative to the housing while the second jaw is in the closed position; 
 (c) an electrode associated with the first jaw or the second jaw, wherein the electrode is configured to apply RF energy to tissue; 
 (d) an electrode activation assembly configured to activate the electrode; 
 (e) an indicator assembly configured to generate a signal, wherein the indicator assembly comprises a switch configured to initiate the generation of the signal; and 
 (f) a body slidably attached to the housing, wherein the body is configured to actuate between a first position and a second position in response to the resilient arm moving between the relaxed position and the flexed position, respectively, wherein the body is configured to engage the switch to thereby activate the indicator assembly to generate the signal in the second position. 
 
     
     
       2. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the body is biased toward the first position. 
     
     
       3. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator assembly is configured to generate an audible tone in response to generating the signal. 
     
     
       4. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode activation assembly comprises a circuit board, wherein the is in communication with the circuit board. 
     
     
       5. The surgical instrument of  claim 4 , wherein the circuit board is configured to activate the electrode, wherein the indicator assembly is configured to allow operation of the circuit board to activate the electrode while generating the signal. 
     
     
       6. The surgical instrument of  claim 5 , wherein the indicator assembly is configured to inhibit the circuit board to activate the electrode while not generating the signal. 
     
     
       7. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator assembly is configured to inhibit operation of the electrode assembly while the body is in the first position. 
     
     
       8. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , further comprising a knife configured to actuate within the first jaw and the second jaw between a pre-fired position and a fired position. 
     
     
       9. The surgical instrument of  claim 8 , further comprising a knife actuation assembly configured to actuate the knife between the pre-fired position and the fired position. 
     
     
       10. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the body is configured to translate relative to the housing between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
       11. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient arm comprises a thumb ring. 
     
     
       12. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a finger ring. 
     
     
       13. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the body protrudes from the housing toward the resilient arm. 
     
     
       14. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode comprises a U-shape. 
     
     
       15. A surgical instrument comprising:
 (a) an end effector, wherein the end effector comprises:
 (i) a first jaw, 
 (ii) a second jaw pivotably coupled with the first jaw, wherein the second jaw is operable to transition between an open position and a closed position, 
 (iii) a knife configured to actuate between a pre-fired position to a fired position, and 
 (iv) an electrode assembly configured to apply RF energy to tissue; 
 
 (b) a handle assembly, wherein the handle assembly comprises:
 (i) a housing associated with the first jaw, and 
 (ii) an arm associated with the second jaw, wherein the arm is pivotably coupled with the housing, wherein the arm is configured to pivot the second jaw between the open position and the closed position; 
 
 (c) a knife drive assembly configured to actuate the knife between the pre-fired position and the fired position; 
 (d) an electrode activation assembly configured to activate the electrode assembly, wherein the electrode activation assembly comprises a lockout switch configured to allow activation of the electrode assembly when activated; and 
 (e) a lockout assembly comprising a translating body configured to transition between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration, wherein the lockout assembly is configured to inhibit activation of the electrode assembly and inhibit actuation of the knife drive assembly while in the locked configuration, wherein the translating body of the lockout assembly is configured to activate the lockout switch to allow activation of the electrode assembly in the unlocked configuration, wherein the translating body is configured to allow actuation of the knife drive assembly while in the unlocked configuration, wherein the translating body is resiliently biased toward the locked configuration. 
 
     
     
       16. The surgical instrument of  claim 15 , wherein the translating body is slidably attached to the housing. 
     
     
       17. The surgical instrument of  claim 15 , wherein the electrode assembly comprises a first electrode associated with the first jaw and a second electrode associated with the second jaw. 
     
     
       18. A surgical instrument comprising:
 (a) an end effector, wherein the end effector comprises:
 (i) a first jaw, 
 (ii) a second jaw pivotably coupled with the first jaw, wherein the second jaw is operable to transition between an open position and a closed position, and 
 (iii) a knife configured to actuate between a pre-fired position to a fired position; 
 
 (b) a knife drive assembly configured to actuate the knife between the pre-fired position and the fired position; 
 (c) an electrode activation assembly configured to activate the electrode assembly, wherein the electrode activation assembly comprises a lockout switch configured to inhibit activation of the electrode activation assembly when deactivated and allow activation of the electrode assembly when activated; and 
 (d) a lockout body configured to actuate relative to the knife drive assembly and the electrode activation assembly between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the lockout body is configured to inhibit actuation of knife drive assembly and activation of the electrode activation assembly in the locked position, wherein the lockout body is configured to permit actuation of knife drive assembly and activation of the electrode activation assembly in the unlocked position, wherein the lockout body is configured to directly activate the lockout switch in the unlocked position to thereby permit activation of the electrode activation assembly, wherein the lockout body is biased toward the locked position. 
 
     
     
       19. The surgical instrument of  claim 8 , wherein the lockout body is configured to directly engage the knife drive assembly in the locked position.